Local Search Results

They stand out as they are usually grouped together with an accompanying map. A tear drop or red circle indicates the place of the ranking – either A, B C or 1, 2, 3.

In Google results they are mixed in with the main search results. A tear drop is for a brick and mortar business with a store front and a circle is for a service business that services customers at their location. The service results don’t always show up on maps or mobile results. Depending on the term and industry searched for they can be shown above the organic results in some cases they are a little further down the page.

You can find Local Search results on a mobile device by using a search or map app or by using a browser like Chrome.

Local Search Marketing is for businesses that service the majority of their clients locally or have a store front where customers come. If a business receives the majority of their business in an 8km radius of the business address, it is considered a local business.

Internet businesses can have a local listing however it is unlikely this will be of any great benefit to them as there are not many searches for online stores that also have a local modifier in them so they would not show up often.

Per Google, one-third of searches have a local modifier, so it’s well worth being found in the local search results. 9 out of 10 times searches on a smart phone result in an action being taken. 68% visit a business and 53% make a purchase.

It is also worth noting that Google is not the only search engine in the game and being found on Apple maps, Yahoo and Bing should not be forgotten. However at the moment the other search engines receive less then 15% of the searches.

So what does it take to show up well in Local search results ?

Correct set up of your Google+Local listing and Maps listing. (initial)

Correct set up of Yelp listing (this gets you an Apple Maps listing also).(initial)

Basic website set ups to your current website. (initial)

Effective and ongoing set up and maintenance of citations (additional mentions of your business) around the web. (ongoing)